Lewis-Clark State College Men's Baseball

Jeremiah Robbins, three-time NAIA National Champion and LC State Athletics Hall of Famer, returns to the helm of Warrior Baseball for the 2026 season.  In his first six seasons as head coach of the Warriors from 2013-18, he crowned three Avista NAIA World Series Champions and two runners-up. He capped his first tenure at LC State in 2018 after the baseball program earned the NAIA's F. Hank Burbridge Champions of Character award for sportsmanship and commitment to the community. The baseball team participated in campus activities and took part in several community events, including helping area Little League teams.  LC State's 2017 victory was the Warriors' third straight under Robbins and their 19th in program history. The title capped a season that included almost a full month without any competition because of inclement weather in the Western United States. It didn't hamper the Warriors, who won their first four games of the Series before needing two games to subdue Faulkner (Ala.) for the championship. The success of the Warriors was underscored by J.J. Robinson earning NAIA Honorable Mention All-America honors, seven Warriors being drafted and Robbins being honored as the ABCA/Diamond NAIA Coach of the Year. Robbins led the Warriors to a 52-8 record in 2016. The Warriors won a wild 12-11 contest over Faulkner in the Series’ championship game at Harris Field on June 3. It was the program’s 23rd appearance in the title contest. He picked up several awards for the season to add to a growing collection. For the second straight year, he was named the NAIA Coach of the Year and for the third successive season, he was honored as the American Baseball Coaches’ Association NAIA Coach of the Year. He also earned the ABCA’s West Region Coach of the Year award for the fourth season in a row. In 2016, he was the NAIA West Coach of the Year. In 2015, Robbins led the Warriors to a 45-11 record, and the team rebounded to win three consecutive loser-out games to win the Avista NAIA World Series title. Robbins also posted a record of 47-9 in 2014 and 46-12 in 2013 when the Warriors made the championship game of the Series. Following the 2014 season, Robbins was selected as the NAIA Regional Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Diamond Sports. The Oregon native restarted the baseball program at Umpqua Community College from 2018-24 and led the team to three straight super regional appearances. In 2023, sophomore Hank Kublickk was drafted in the 18th round of the MLB Draft to the St. Louis Cardinals. He sent numerous players to the four-year level, including Warrior standouts Charlie Updegrave and Brandon Cabrera.  Robbins came to LC State from Western Oregon following the 2012 season. While at Western Oregon, he compiled a 252-109 record, including a 170-34 record in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (NCAA D-II). Robbins led the Wolves to seven straight GNAC titles, and received seven conference Coach of the Year awards in the process. In 2006 and 2012, he was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association West Region Coach of the Year. Robbins’ 2012 squad won the school’s 12th consecutive conference title with a 29-3 record in the GNAC, and the program earned its fifth bid to the NCAA West regional tournament under Robbins’ guidance. In 2006, his first season at the helm, the Wolves won the GNAC title and were the No. 1 seed and host of the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament. Robbins has said one of the things that has impressed him most about coaching at LCSC is the support the program receives from the community. A native of Winston, Ore., Robbins played baseball at Douglas High School and then a year at College of the Redwoods. He played the next season at Southwestern Oregon Community College, and spent his final two seasons playing at Western Oregon. He earned all-conference honors as a catcher with the Wolves in 1998. He started his coaching career at Southwestern Oregon CC and spent two seasons there. He then spent two years at Douglas High School, where his teams won back-to-back Far West League championships and he was honored with two league Coach of the Year titles. He then accepted the head job at Western Oregon. Robbins, who earned a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Oregon University and Master's in Sports Administration from Arkansas State, is married to his wife, Mareena, have two sons, Luke and Cal.   Season W-L Overall W-L Conference  Conference Regular-Season Conference Tournament Avista NAIA World Series Highest NAIA Ranking 2013  45-15 22-6 First Place N/A 4-2* No. 5 2014 47-9 24-4 First Place N/A 4-2* No. 2 2015 46-12 24-4 First Place N/A 5-1** No. 2 2016 52-8 30-5 First Place First Place 4-1** No. 1 2017 40-14 22-8 First Place N/A 5-1** No. 1 2018 40-13 26-6 First Place N/A 2-2 No. 1 Overall 270-71 (.792) 148-33 (.818) ** NAIA National Champion * NAIA National Runner-Up

Balmer played four seasons with the Warriors from 2002-06 and enjoyed much success. He started all four seasons at third base and helped the Warriors capture two national titles, including the championship in the 50th Annual Avista NAIA World Series at Lewiston during his senior year in 2006. He earned the tournaments MVP award after smacking 12 hits, scoring six runs, and driving in seven during a five-game stretch. Overall at LCSC, Allen recorded 245 hits, established a batting average of .341, and averaged less than 12 errors a season. During his senior year, he hit .377 with a team-leading seven home runs during the regular season. Balmer is a second generation Warrior baseball player as well. His father, Gary, who also works at LCSC, was a standout for the Warriors in the early 1980s. Balmer and his wife Jenny live in Lewiston with their two children, Brody and Avery.

Billy Silvestri enters his 13th season as an assistant coach with the Warrior Baseball team in 2026. He coaches first base and primarily works with catchers and outfielders. Off the field, Silvestri coordinates recruiting in the Northern and Southern California areas. He was a key part of the coaching staff for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 National Championship teams. Silvestri graduated from LCSC in 2013 after playing for the Warriors during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In his Warrior career, he hit .316 with a home run and 54 RBI. He also amassed 103 hits and scored 43 runs in his two seasons in Lewiston. He joined the Warriors after transferring from Golden West College in his hometown of Huntington Beach, Calif., following the 2010 season. Silvestri and his wife Allison reside in Clarkston, Wash. with their daughter Challis and son William “Blaize” V.

Darren Trainor rejoined the coaching staff at LC State ahead of the 2026 season. The season marks his second season on the bench for LC State after a stellar playing career and successful tenure as the head coach at Lewiston High School. He will serve as the team's recruiting coordinator and work primarily with infielders. Trainor led the Bengals from 2022-25 and guided the team to two Inland Empire League titles, three State appearances and was named the IEL Coach of the Year twice. Prior to taking over at LHS, he coached with LC State in 2021 and helped guide the Warriors to a fourth-place finish at the Avista NAIA World Series.    Trainor played for the Warriors in 2018 and 2019, finishing his career with a .346 batting average, 104 hits, 77 RBI and nine home runs. In the 2019 season under Head Coach Jake Taylor, he was voted the NAIA West Gold Glove catcher, the NAIA West Player of the Year and a Second-Team NAIA All-American.  After the 2019 season, Trainor played a season professionally in Australia in the Greater Brisbane League in the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia. A native of Turlock Calif., Trainor graduated from Turlock High School in 2013 as a two-sport athlete in baseball and basketball. He started his collegiate baseball career at Merced Community College and earned all-conference and conference Gold Glove honors as a freshman. In the summer of 2017, he played in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.   Trainor graduated from Lewis-Clark State in the spring of 2019 with degrees in Kinesiology and Secondary Education Physical Education and Helath Endorsement. He currently resides in Lewiston.

Brandon Vial enters his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Warrior Baseball team in 2026 after stepping away for a year to coach at NCAA Division I Washington State. He works largely with the pitching staff. Vial joined the Warrior staff after spending 2021 as the Director of Player Development Initiatives at Georgia Gwinnett College, winning the 2021 Avista NAIA World Series. Vial earned Northwoods League Coach of the Year for his work with the record-setting pitching staff of the St. Cloud Rox.  Vial graduated from Austin Peay State in 2019 after playing two years for the Governors. Prior to Austin Peay, he spent two years as a member of the Feather River College Golden Eagles baseball team. Vial amassed 25 college wins spanning four seasons. He left feather river college with a 16-2 record with a 2.24 ERA over 170.2 innings of work.